Criticisms of Natural Moral Law

Religious Studies: KS3, topic 3.1.4

Aquinas’ Natural Moral Law does not take the consequences into account.
Some Catholic Christians have an absolutist understanding of Natural Moral Law and so apply the rules in every situation.
Example: Some women may not be ready to have a child due to age, financial situation or mental health. They may wish to terminate their pregnancy. An absolutist interpretation of Aquinas' Law would not permit it and would lead women to illegal procedures that may kill them.

Aquinas’ view of morality is based on the God of the Abrahamic religions (in this case, the Christian God).
Many people don’t believe in God, so Aquinas’ justification for following these rules is not going to apply to them.
In the UK, the number of Christians has dropped from 59% in 2011 to 46% in 2021, and the number of non-religious people continues to increase.

A Catholic’s morality may be influenced by factors outside of their religion, such as their culture, age, and life experiences.
Example: A Pew Research survey showed that many Catholics believe the church should allow the use of birth control.
The survey found that up to 86% of those surveyed in Argentina believed the church should allow the use of birth control.
This suggests that the rigidity of Natural Law is being rejected by a large number of people.

The most obvious group of people who might object to Natural Law are those who do not believe in God.
They would reject any idea of living a life in accordance with God’s plan.
They view this as outdated and belonging to a time when societies were based on religion.
They say we should live in accordance with secular values.

Is it really possible for there to be a ‘one size fits all’ morality?
Around the world, we see a rich variety of cultures. Each culture has different customs and rules.
There are many examples of cultural relativism.

For a period of time, Chinese society was concerned about the population explosion in their country.
They decided it was best to limit reproduction and allow families one child only.
Cannibalism is rejected by Christian societies because of natural law.
But, cannibalism has been acceptable to some cultures. They think that to behave otherwise is to waste resources.

Test yourself on Criticisms of Natural Moral Law

What is a criticism of applying Natural Moral Law in an absolutist way when it comes to abortion?
What does the Pew Research survey on birth control show about Natural Moral Law?
Why might Natural Moral Law be less persuasive to people in the UK today than it was in the past?
What percentage of Christians were recorded in the UK in the 2021 census?
Select the correct statement for each pair.